Best Standard: Triumph Speed Triple

Ten Best Motorcycles of 2006.

Best Standard: Triumph Speed Triple - Ten Best Bikes 2006

Read More: Triumph Speed TripleCycle World

It’s only fitting that the British invented “streetfighters”–sporty motorcycles stripped of their bodywork and fitted with taller handlebars. Bikes of that ilk have evolved into new-age “standards,” and no one currently builds a better one than Triumph with its 1050cc Speed Triple. Winner of last year’s Best Open-Class Streetbike award, this bug-eyed, bob-tailed naked bike can shred a backroad like a card-carrying repli-racer, pumps out gobs of torque at any rpm in every gear, and has a comfy chassis with a sit-up riding position ideal for everything from an hour-long commute to a day-long ride. If you have one scintilla of hooliganism in you–or an ounce of practicality–there’s a Speed Triple somewhere with your name on it.

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